Reborn
by CryingNevermore
Summary: When I sleep, I dream of him, sometimes. A man that talks to me, and laughs at me. But I do not know him. Where is he from? Who is he? And why do I trust him?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone, welcome to my new story. I really hope you like it, although, I really don't know if it's going to go anywhere. Message me about any questions, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.**

_I remember a deep indigo colored night sky, patched with black, and lit with stars. There were slight patches of it visible through the bamboo._

_From there, everything is blurred, save for a mind numbing pain, and the sharp smell of blood that rings out._

_Those are the memories that I fear, that haunt my nightmares. I dream, sometimes, of falling from the sky, of being impaled._

_In other dreams, the sky is around me, and the clouds are gentle. They sing to me, and my lullaby is the wind's gentle song. _

_Sometimes I see a face, a person that I don't recognize, but that I feel like I should. He is familiar, and I wish that I remembered what I should. His eyes are molten, and liquid almost, they remind of gold, of the things that…that we…_

_What did we do? _

_We did something…something together._

_Of that I am certain._

_I dream of us, sometimes, just talking, I can't understand what we're saying, or remember, more like._

_What am I supposed to remember?_

_They are not dreams, although that is how they often appear; they are far to vivid, and I remember them too well._

_One memory, the one that confuses me, is of looking into a still pool, and seeing what should be my reflection. Instead, I see a narrow face, with violet eyes, slanted; the mouth is narrow, the nose titled. The face of a man looks back at me._

**There's the prologue, well? Got you curious, right?**


	2. Beginnings

**Here we go; first actual chapter. Please be gentle, I'm well aware that I'm probably going to make the characters really oc. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Please Review.**

When people dream, their brains are trying to tell them something. I know that as a universal, scientific fact. Your fears, your desires, even your future can be revealed to you in dreams; great minds throughout time admitted through history that many answers came in dreams.

My dreams?

I fear them.

The sky was beautiful, the kind of color blue that children's fairy tales paint a picture of; the color blue of a crayon, with white fluffy popcorn clouds that drifted in and out of my vision. Idly, I named shapes…

_Bamboo…treasure…fox…_

I frowned, squinting, no, that didn't resemble a fox, it looked more like cat with a fluffy tail…and that was just a box, that one was a pile of sticks. And anyway, they were just clouds, that's all.

"Haru-san!" I glanced down and saw Yukimura watching me with those huge eyes. I jumped down from my perch and bowed sweepingly.

"What's up Yukimura?" It irked her that I never used honorifics or referred to her by her first name. It wasn't that I didn't like her (I didn't) or because I was impolite (I was), but more like it was due to the fact that it was just a habit.

For once, though, she didn't berate me about it. Instead she ploughed on, looking stubborn as a bull.

"I need you to find Yusuke for me, please. And Kazuma, if you don't mind." I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

Urameshi is somewhat of an urban legend at present; he returned from the dead, after trashing his reputation as a heartless punk when he died saving some kid in a traffic accident. Now he goes off to some summer camp for half a year, and no one's heard from him since. Rumor has it that Kuwabaka headed there with him, but didn't make the cut; whatever that was.

I'm not best friends with either of them; but…I don't mind hanging with them. They're useless, yeah, but they don't bother me about my grades (a punk with good grades gets messed with a lot, only increasing my reputation), they don't get too offended about my attitude, and…they're okay.

Yukimura, though, she makes my skin crawl.

I can respect her decency and honor and niceness, I admire that in her. I'm glad someone sees the good in Urameshi, other than me (though I've never commented on it), and isn't afraid of him.

But I don't want that anywhere near me.

"Why should I go looking for 'em?" I smirked at her attitude.

"I'm worried, and I know that you are too. Listen, something's going on, and I know that you're curious too."

"What happened to make you suspicious? Urameshi goes off on his own all the time."

"Because he doesn't normally ditch me on our dates. It isn't like him, at all, and I'm worried about him, Haru." I took a hard look at her, and raised an eyebrow; she hadn't looked this off since he got hit by that car.

Only time I've ever felt bad for her was at the funeral; her and Kuwabara were both a terrible mess, screaming at Urameshi. Then there was his mom…I though her heart was torn out, she was wailing so badly, rocking back and forth and holding herself like she was breaking apart, and she was in her own way.

Yukimura's eyes were hardened, but just as sad as they had been that day, and I sighed.

Frankly, I was getting curious too; I mean, Kuwabaka and Urameshi hated one another, but ever since he came back, they've been thicker than thieves. I feel like I'm not seeing everything, a piece of the puzzle is gone. I don't like not seeing the bigger picture.

"What that got anything to do with me?" Yukimura glared at me.

Yukimura is dainty, yeah, but I'm tall for a woman; I'm taller than Urameshi by about…3 inches, give or take. But the way she was looking at me leveled the playing field; I understood that she was beyond terrified that Urameshi was going to wind up dead, again, and not come back.

"Can you find them?"

"Look, I really don't know if I-"

"We both know that you're suspicious. I can tell you what direction they went."

"Fine, Yukimura, I'll track down Urameshi and Kuwabaka."

"Thank you." We stood in silence for a second, and for once she didn't look away from my eyes. I smirked.

"You're welcome." I put a hand on my hip and looked at her again. "Now, what exactly happened?"

I followed Yukimura's directions to the movies and asked around; some soda vendor saw them not 15 minutes ago, and said they'd headed down an alley, and some other kids followed. I thanked him and bought a large coke with a $5 tip. The alley led to a space behind a building that was under construction; probably a building renovation. But Urameshi and Kuwabaka weren't anywhere in site. Instead, there was a group of kids that were knocked out, and looked…off. There was only one way to go from there, and that led to a row of warehouses, one of which had an open door.

I listened carefully, and heard talking.

"…alright, now, be careful…" a woman? No, Urameshi adored Yukimura and Kuwabaka was notorious for striking out with women.

I ducked around a corner and waited, counting. On number 569 a woman emerged from the warehouse.

She was tall, with long powder blue hair pulled high in a ponytail; she was wearing a real black leather biker jacket, red skinny jeans and white, knee high polyester boots. In one hand she carried an aluminum baseball bat, in the other she had a compact mirror, and was talking into it.

"Yes, sir, he's gone, although Kuwabara decided he needed to go as well." I raised an eyebrow, where did they go? "Understood." And then she ran off.

That's when I entered the warehouse; at first, nothing seemed out of place. But something made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up. Every instinct in me told me to run away, and tell Yukimura that I couldn't find either of them. But something else, something stronger then instinct made he go down the stairs.

I reached into my pocket and grasped my necklace for comfort; Mom had gotten it for me when I was 10, a garnet set in silver. It was my 10th birthday present.

She died before she could give it to me, on the way home, the day before I was 10 years old. It's more or less, my comfort against doubt.

At the bottom of the warehouse, the floor was set in large cement tiles about half the length of my body and the width half of that. The tiles were all set, and something didn't seem right; the place was huge, but virtually empty; save for some lockers and stacked chairs.

I walked the length of the room, thinking. No back door. They didn't leave with the baseball woman…I remembered all those crappy detective movies my dad had made me watch; usually there was a trapdoor, or a fake wall or a doorway hidden behind a book case or something. I looked around; _Maybe…it's a longshot, but…_ I glanced at the floor again. Then blinked.

There was dust everywhere; I could see my footprints, and 3 other sets.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." I grinned, and followed the other sets, and saw the smudged ground. The batgirl had been on her knees…and the expanse of range of the other smudges, based on the footsteps where Kuwabaka and Urameshi stopped… "She was knocking on the floor? Worth a shot." I knocked, and the floor tile…raised? I lifted it away apprehensively.

Instead of foundation, or even plain ground under the tile, there was an expanse of scarlet under it.

"What the hell?" I reached down, but felt nothing. No burning sensation, and nothing disappeared. I sat back in a crouch, considering my options. Technically, I'd found out where they went, but it sounded totally insane. And my curiosity was piqued.

I latched my pendant around my neck securely then tied my hair up with a length of chord in my pocket, and eased myself down, until nothing but my hands held up.

"Please God, don't let this kill me." I prayed, before letting go and dropping into red.

Kay, here's what I found out. Free falling through a blood red sky with iron black clouds that rumbled and flashed lightning, isn't fun. Especially when something is niggling at the back of your mind, whispering, in a frighteningly familiar voice to _fly_, that's a bit terrifying.

Apparently, the opening was really high up, because I fell for a seriously long time (the next time I brushed out my hair, I couldn't get my brush through it for 30 minutes, no joke, Only thing I can say about it is that I was glad it was tied up, and that I'd had enough common sense to double knot it). The wind burned my face, and the muggy air scalded my throat.

Nonetheless, I landed pretty safely, although it was more of a crash landing into a tree, flat on my ass.

"Oww!" I whined, before I heard laughter.

"It appears we have a guest." A voice chuckled, before there was a small guy in black directly in front of me, scrutinizing me with blood colored eyes.

"It's a human woman." He spat, before reaching out, grasping me by the shoulder and throwing me to the ground, face first. And I mean face first, as in I barely managed to cushion my face before it hit the ground.

"HARU?!" Urameshi and Kuwabaka shouted. I laughed a bit and sat up.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

The whole thing was worth it; the pain, the fear, the uncertainty, and the time it took to track down these idiots; all of it was worth the looks on their faces.

And that's when everything went to hell.

**Wow, that went by quick. I'm sorry that the prologue is confusing, but I did my best to set the mood, I mean, it's supposed to be about second guessing. Please review! You have my thanks!**


	3. The Gate

**Second chapter, is up now, thankfully. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, and I'm a little disappointed with the lack of response this story is getting. If part of it is because you're confused about the summary, it'll come clear in a few chapters. However, if you've figured out about Haru from the clues I've been dropping, GOOD JOB!**

(LINE)

"Haru? What are you doing here?" Kuwabaka shouted, I jumped to my feet and flashed him a trademark grin.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd…drop in." He laughed and smacked me on the back, a typical Kuwabaka response when he was pleased about something or another.

"Man, am I glad to see you! Urameshi, can you believe it?"

"You know this woman?" The short guy from earlier demanded; I glanced at him again; he was actually kinda cute, in a brooding chibi kinda way. I just wanted to hug him! But, something told me that that wasn't exactly the best idea, considering the way he was glaring at me…

"Yeah, I go to school with the two of 'em. Sorry we weren't properly introduced. I'm Hachitaka Koharu." I held out a hand for him to shake, but he stared at it impassively. "You shake it, man."

"I refuse to come into contact with the likes of you."

"Friendly, arent'cha?" I joked, petting him on the head. No joke, he growled at me, like a dog. "So, what're we all doing here?"

"First off, how did you even get here?" Urameshi demanded, before I could answer, he grabbed me by the collar and glared. "Are you a spy for the 4 Saint Beasts?" I punched him in the face, so he let go, and dusted off my front.

"Look, genius; 1.) I don't know what those are. 2.) Where is here? 3.) I followed you two idiots because Yukimura's worried about you, and frankly, so am I. Ever since you came back from the dead, the two of you have been hanging out together. Then, Urameshi, you disappear for 6 months to some exclusive summer camp without a word to Yukimura. Something's not right, and I don't like being kept in the dark." I snapped, before thinking about it. "Oh, and don't put your hands on me again unless you want your jaw broken. Got it?" I jabbed him in the chest.

"Perhaps you should explain to, Koharu, was it?" A calm, rather pleasant voice suggested. I turned to the other guy.

This one was taller than me by half an inch, but that wasn't what caught my attention. What caught, and held it, was the long, blood red hair he was sporting, as well as eyes so green emeralds were jealous.

I've never seen this guy in my life, but…something about him looked…awful familiar.

"Yeah, but everyone just calls me Haru." This one did shake my hand, but I noticed something.

He looked awful pale…like he was terrified.

"Call me Kurama." I nodded and gave another look at the small guy, who made a point not to look at me. So cute…

"What about the other one? Can't say I got his name."

"That is Hiei." I grinned, but he glared.

That's when I turned on Yusuke.

"Now, what are we doing here, where is here and who are these Saint Beasts?"

"Look, Haru, it's a long story, and we're short on time."

"So I'll come with, you can fill me in on the way."

"Are you crazy? You could get killed, Haru!" I stared at Kuwabaka who looked ashamed, even before Hiei started berating him.

"Killed by what, exactly?"

So, Urameshi started talking.

(line)

"What…the…hell?" I muttered, staring at him in confusion. I'd remained silent up until the end of the story. Okay, I'll admit, I've never exactly believed in the afterlife. My issue with it is really simple; if there is something that judges us after we die, why not just punish us while we're living?

Why is it that the good people die, and the monsters we face every day are successful and live long a healthy lives? Why did the people who had done nothing suffer? And why were there bad people in the first place. So, I guess, you could consider me an atheist.

But Urameshi's story was so out there, so unbelievable, that either he was completely pulling my leg, or he was telling the truth. Under normal circumstances, I'd believe it was a lie, get mad and hit him, get into a fight, and then when we were both finished talk it over.

However, I was in a world with a red sky and had just fallen from the clouds after climbing through the floor of a warehouse…so I really had no choice but to believe him.

"Okay, demonic bugs are about to take over the world…odd as that sounds, I could believe that. But where do these two come in?" I indicated to Hiei and Kurama.

"We tried to take over the world and Yusuke apprehended us. We're on probation, so long as we assist him." Kurama explained, I nodded and looked at them.

"Well, if what you said is true, then I guess that we better go stop these monsters, right?" Everyone looked at me like _I'd_ gone insane. "What? Something on my face?"

"Haru, you can't come!" Kuwbaka insisted, I rolled my eyes.

"Why not?"

"Because you might get hurt!"

"You'll get in the way." I looked down at Hiei, who still glared at me like I'd kicked a puppy.

"What?"

"You're useless, you have no powers, no special abilities. You'll weigh us down, get us killed. We don't have time to deal with some weak human woman!" He looked so indignant, I couldn't help myself and patted his head. He blinked in confusion, totally ruining the glare but enhancing the 'cute' thing he had going for him.

"You are a normal human, aren't you?" Kurama asked, I shrugged.

"Hey, as far as I know." All of them stared. I held up my hands in defense. "Look, until a minute ago, I didn't think demons existed, so anything's possible. As far as I know, yeah I'm human. Anyway, I'm helping."

"You'll get in the way!" Hiei turned to everyone else. "We'll leave her here!"

"Oi, problem with that, guy." Hiei raised an eyebrow. I grinned. "I…don't quite know how to get back."

Hiei smiled wickedly. "You found your way in, you can find your way out."

"Sorry, Hiei, but Haru's a pretty good friend, and she might be useful. Even if she isn't I'm not just leaving her behind." Kuwabara pumped a fist in the air and I grinned at Hiei.

"You'll get us killed." He informed me, like we were discussing the weather. I smiled gently.

"I get the feeling you're a funny drunk." Kuwabara and Urameshi burst into laughter, and even Kurama chuckled. Hiei grimaced.

I followed the boys to the castle whistling under my breath.

"You never did say how you found the portal, Haru." Kuwabara called back to me, I jogged up to the group and fell back to their pace.

"I followed some vendor's directions to a clearing. It was where those possessed kids met up with you guys. From there there was one exit, and then it was purely on instinct until I found the warehouse. That reminds me, you guys really need to work on covering your tracks. You left footprints, and I just copied the blue skanks movements till the portal opened." Urameshi stared at me. I grinned. "I know, I'm good."

"You found all that out, but you fail math?" I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, you're one to talk, Urameshi. When have you ever passed a math test?" That made him shut up really quick.

"How exactly did you meet Yusuke?" Kurama asked, I shrugged.

"He tried to pickpocket me. Long story short I kicked his ass." I admitted, making him stare. I raised an eyebrow. "He was hungry and tried to snatch my lunch, after I won the fight, we split it. From then on we were friends…sort of…"

"And Kuwabara?"

"Misunderstanding. He attacked Urameshi in the middle of our fight thinking that he was about to hurt a girl," I scoffed, "after we both beat the hell out of him, it started an annual thing. He'd interrupt our fights and I'd usually win…but then he always held back because-"

"I don't fight girls!" Kuwabaka snarled, making me smack him.

"I don't make a habit of fighting idiots either, but still I put up with you." Urameshi laughed loudly and grinned back at me. "And you, Urameshi."

"You beat Yusuke in a fight?"

"Eh…last time we went at it full force was last year, and the only reason I won is because it took a long time. Despite his strength, his endurance wasn't that good, all I had to do was keep on the move."

"Asshole." Yusuke taunted.

"Bitch." I countered.

My parents wanted a boy, and when it became clear that my mother couldn't have any more kids, Dad took to treating me like a boy. I've never exactly been comfortable with being a girl anyway; as long as I can remember, I've preferred men's clothes and styles to the uncomfortable outfits worn by the in crowds of people of my own age and gender. Yusuke treated me as an equal, regardless of gender, and everyone else was intimidated by me. Kuwabara, while he didn't act like I was a delicate flower or anything like that, didn't give me that same courtesy.

The gate approached, and I stared at it, admiring the craftsmanship that had gone into making the thing. It was beautifully terrifying, and sent shivers through me, though not entirely unpleasant.

"Real homey ain't it?" I stopped dead, staring into the stone ahead.

"Something wrong, Haru?"

"We shouldn't go in there." I warned, backing away; my flesh recoiled from the stone archway, and I smelled something foul in the air.

"There isn't another way-"

"Something isn't right in there," I hissed, clenching my teeth.

"Hn, stupid woman, it's a mere gate-" Hiei taunted, I snarled at him.

"It has nothing to do with my gender, bean sprout, but something is seriously wrong in there! I can feel it!" Hiei scoffed, glanced at all of us and headed in. There was nothing to do but follow the moron, me shivering like it was 20 degrees.

(line)

It was ridiculous, Kurama reminded himself, for the 6th time, as he watched Haru clench her teeth and go through the gate.

_I saw him die, and there's no trace of demonic energy from her._ He reasoned, again. But he couldn't help the feeling that he knew her.

There was no way to deny how similar Haru and he looked though; had he been living, they could have easily been mistaken as twins; long, midnight black hair that didn't have a trace of a curl, tanned skin, easily bordering on burnt, and a long, lanky body that seemed awkward, but still moved with a fluid gracefulness that seemed at ease with itself and those around. Haru's body had almost no hint of femininity; there was no soft curve, or subtle hints at what may have been breasts, despite the tight black tank top. Her black pants clung to her legs, revealing lean, shaped muscle. Haru was thin, but there was muscle beneath that, like silk over steel. Perhaps, though, the most convincing was her face; narrow, with a slightly gaunt look, high cheekbones creating a slight hollow beneath. Her face, although not masculine, wasn't feminine either. Her eyes had the look of a suspicious cat's, the color of violets, and tilted up. The look of eternal suspicion and anger was softened by her mouth, the only feminine thing to be found; a plush bottom lip, and slightly thin upper, the look that many a woman paid top dollar for.

Haru still shivered as they walked further and further down the hall, her skin growing paler and paler with each step.

Finally the end of the tunnel shed light, or more of it.

Haru stared at the creature that hovered near the exit; a batlike creature whose body was merely a giant eye with purple wings and small tentacles.

"Welcome to the Gate of Betrayel," it greeted, it's voice a metallic whine that sounded like it was coming through faulty speakers under water. It made them all grimace. In that span of time, the eye creature pulled a level on the far wall.

The ceiling rumbled threateningly, and began to descend in a cloud of dust and grit. "The ceiling!" Kurama shouted, alerting everyone to the present situation. Almost simultaneously, their hands went up, bracing against the heavy stone intending to crush them all.

"The sensors in this gate are very intelligent; they can sense the limits of the groups strength, leaving it just below with just enough weight that one person can escape, and slowly adding more weight. The ceiling will become heavier, and heavier until it crushes you all. Insist on teamwork and the lot of you will die. That's why it's called the Gate of Betrayal, you see?" The creature began to cackle. "Only the traitor among you deserves to enter Maze castle."

"You talk too damn much!" Haru snarled, although her mind was racing a mile a minute.

The little monster was right; her muscles strained with every passing second; she could feel the weight growing, and knew that it wouldn't take much to convince the average personality to abandon their comrades.

_Comrades?_ She though, snickering to herself.

"That little, I oughta-" Kuwabara shifted and the weight bore down on them more fiercly than before.

"Stay focused on the weight, you fool! Or you'll kill us all!" Hiei snarled; it was faint, but Haru could see the panic growing in his eyes.

"Stay focused! There's got to be a way out!" Yusuke reasoned, for once he had the right idea.

"I'm not about to die for a bunch of worthless humans!" Hiei snapped.

"Don't you dare consider it, Hiei!" Kurama begged, Haru's breath began to race. Death didn't look too promising. Adrenaline flooded her system and she glanced around, wildly, looking for something, anything to use.

"The lever!"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Yusuke glanced at Hiei. "Hiei, you're faster than anyone of us, you need to pull the switch."

"Are you crazy, he'll be glad to get rid of us!"

"For once the oaf has a point," Hiei said quietly, "I did say that I'd take my revenge on you, detective."

"That isn't your style. I can support the ceiling for a couple of seconds with my Spirit Energy, so go. I trust you." Hiei hesitated.

"You can do it, man." Haru urged quietly, and just like that, Hiei was a black blur down the corridor.

The difference in the ceiling with and without him was incredible; Haru wasn't weak, but she knew that they couldn't hold out long without him.

_Please, Hiei, don't let your anger blindside you._ She thought, just as he reached the lever. Of course, then the Eye had to interfere.

"Think carefully, Lord Hiei. The Saint Beasts could use you, come with me, and they will gladly welcome you among their ranks. They will understand you more than these humans ever can."

Hiei stared at the Eye, and Haru felt despair well up in her chest. No, please, no.

"YOU TWO TIMING NO GOOD-" Kuwabara raged, before Hiei began to laugh.

"Fools," he sliced the creature so quickly no one saw it. The monster shrieked, and blood poured from it's now blinded body. "Tell your Masters they get one chance! They have one opportunity to beg for mercy at my feet and submit to _MY _will!" It flew off, and Hiei finally pulled the switch, releasing them from the torment.

"I knew that he'd do the right thing." Haru chuckled, smiling warmly. Kurama felt nostalgic. It was His smile on a woman's face.

At that moment a boulder came down, right where Hiei had been standing. Kuwabara let out a shriek, just as the small Fire demon appeared again, unharmed.

Everyone raced up to him, and Yuske gave him a thumb's up.

"Knew you wouldn't let us down."

"Don't misunderstand me!" Hiei defended, "this would go easier with backup!" And with that he stomped off, leaving Kurama smiling.

"It seems that Hiei's undergoing a difficult change." Everyone stared at him. "He's beginning to like you."

Haru caught up with him easily, he glared at her. "What, are you hoping to act like a simpering fool?" Haru raised an eyebrow.

"No, just came to say thank you, and good job." And she fell back, leaving Hiei to his thoughts.


	4. Identity Part I Mistake

**Alright, here we go. Forgive me; I'm not really skilled with fighting scenes, and if you'd like to imagine it differently, feel free to do so, but dialogue has to stay the same. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, and technically I don't own Haru either, as you'll see later on. Love all of you who took the time to keep up! Mucho Love, Stay Strong ! (PS, yes I'm aware that Haru is referring to Kuwabara as Kuwabaka, and I'm aware that isn't how you spell his surname. I'm using it as a play, considering that he is an idiot; a sweet one, but an idiot all the same) Please read the note at the end of the chapter, it's REALLY important.**

"Oi, Kurama, Botan was so busy pushing us through the portal she didn't tell us much about these monsters. What exactly is so special about 'em?" Urameshi asked Kurama a bit down the hallway. I made sure that my bag was stilled intact after the gate, and that my necklace was still on.

"She wouldn't have been able to tell you very much, I'm afraid. After the domain was sealed, the Spirit World more or less forgot the Beasts, and much of their legend has been exaggerated and turned into fable." Kurama paused, before glancing at Urameshi from his periphery. "Let's just say that you'll be rather surprised when you see them."

"Is Botan the Blue skank in the hot pants?" I asked randomly.

"Don't talk about Botan like that!" Kuwabara snarled at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Dude, she's so far out of your league it isn't funny. It's more merciful to shoot you down now. Besides, she's a tramp."

"How can you tell?" He should be ashamed at how eager he was to learn this stuff.

"M'kay, it's got to do with how she walks. When a girl's out trolling for a man, she does a kind of cat walk; she moves her hips to make them appear larger, and she always walks taller than normal. She won't make eye contact directly, instead she'll give your face a once over to decide whether or not your testosterone levels are enough for her."

"How can she tell?"

"We, dumbass." I reminded. He blushed; despite how he refused to fight me, Kuwabara regularly forgot that I was a girl. "It's a kind of sensor women are born into; not to mention the fact that there's a lot of testosterone in saliva; and that's why a kiss is a deal breaker. Women taste the testosterone."

"Why does it matter how much is there?" I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Because, stupid, testosterone leads to reproduction. It's at the heart of a woman's desire to trap men."

"As if you could succeed." Hiei scoffed; I smirked.

"That's just no one's properly hit on you, shorts. Men may have been built to hunt game and fight, but women are built to snare and trap a different sort of prey."

"Shouldn't we be coming up on the monsters soon?" Yusuke wondered, successfully turning the topic away from reproduction and natural chemical makeup of the genders **(all that stuff is true, by the way; when women are on the prowl for a mate they do all that kind of stuff. When men are doing likewise, they puff their chest out, and walk wider, in an attempt to look bigger. Just one of the many useless facts I know, but hey, knowledge is power)**.

"ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!" A booming voice announced; the hallway shook in response.

"Seriously, man, you can't come up with a better line? Totally cliché!" I insulted, only to have the hallway begin shaking again.

"Let's do our best not to insult them, alright, Haru?" Kuwabaka stammered, I raised an eyebrow, and smiled coldly.

"No guarantees." I mumbled, as we approached this giant stone doorway; it was huge, and strangely intricate in a simple kind of way.

"Alright, should I prepare for something ugly?" I asked gently.

"Most likely." Yusuke pushed open the huge gates, and I eagerly looked for something hideous and disgusting, only to see…well nothing.

In those old fairytale stories about stone dungeons, that was the chamber we entered. The room smelled stale and sour, like dried blood and stale air and sweat…basically like a cheap boxing gym, minus the distinct tang of worn rubber mats. The room was made of gray, heavy stone, and the ceiling was huge. Torches lined the walls, casting flickering light.

At first, I saw nothing special, I mean just stone. Then Yusuke detached a torch from its post and threw it into the middle of the room, revealing…a figure.

This thing was nasty; it was easy to see why I'd missed it from the get go-seeing as it was made from the same kind of stone as the room; I don't mean to say that its skin was like stone, but it was stone. Jutting stone fangs protruded from its mouth, and a tail like a scorpion was poised above it.

"Jesus, Mary and Jojo the freakin carpenter." I whispered, blinking.

"Welcome, foolish guests, to your doom." Its voice was almost lower then stone, like a bed of gravel being laid down.

"Man what is up with the cliché lines, you moron!" I broke out laughing. It snarled at me like an animal.

"You should not insult those stronger than you, human!"

"I'll insult those stupider than me, Ass!"

"Enough, Haru!" I looked at Kurama, but that warm, slightly condescending light was gone; his eyes were cold as ice, his face withdrawn, and there was an eerie smile on his face. An instinct that I didn't even realize I had told me that a plan was beginning to form in his head.

"I am Genbu one of the 4 Saint Beasts, and there is only one way to continue on your journey. You will have to fight me, and I assure you that you will lose, so any questions before you die?" That tail swung forward and slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater.

"Yeah, I'm confused; how could a beast be a saint? Care to clear that up for me?" I grinned and shoved Yusuke playfully.

"Come at me all at once, or one at a time, I care not."

"He's a rock, Urameshi! How are we supposed to fight a frickin' rock?" Kuwabara was totally wigged out; and I mean _wigged_, like I could see his panic better now than in the Betrayal thing.

The change that came in the air was so palpable, I felt shivers down my spine.

"I will fight him." I stared at Kurama, that weird sense of nostalgia I always had mixing painfully with a feeling of fear and anticipation. But, weirdest of all, there was this underlying feeling of trust.

"Kurama, no! There's got to be another way around him."

"You're underestimating him." Hiei and I said in unison. But everyone looked at me. "I can't explain it, really I can't, but I just…he's stronger than he appears. I just know it." Hiei snickered, his eyes gleaming in amusement.

"For once you're correct, human. The reason I partnered with Kurama was because I didn't want him as my enemy. Fact is, he's more vicious than I am, and able to calculate more than 3 steps ahead of his opponent." I nodded, knowing that he was right.

I shouldn't…I shouldn't feel so content in danger like this…but I did.

Genbu looked at Kurama, grinning like a feral animal; he was completely at ease right now.

"Something's off…" I said absently, right as Yusuke shouted out "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR TAIL?!" I stared, and gasped as Genbu's tail appeared shooting up from the ground, Kurama moved fast, but not fast enough, and got a nasty slash to the stomach.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, torn between confusion, worry and intrigue.

"You see, this room is an extension of myself; I'm in my element here, and I'm free to roam within the rocks." He grin was disgusting, "you're essentially fighting the room." And then the fucker sunk into the floor.

"Sweet mercy…"

And then all at once the real fight began; Genbu's tail attempting to spear Kurama, who now was able to dodge every attack, turning and flipping with elegance and ease that was amazing.

Finally, after several moments in the air, Kurama landed on two feet, looking amused, and slightly bored.

"I believe that the game is over." And with that, he reached into his hair and withdrew a rose in full bloom.

"_Ha! What the hell are you gonna do with that?" I laughed; really, he thought a flower could win me over? _

"It's not just any rose." Those same words, spoken in response to something that Kuwabaka had said. And then the petals began to fall, and with a sharp crack, a long whip was in its place, covered in thorns.

"This is my rose whip."

_I stared at the man, and waited for him to finish me off; his cold eyes gleamed, and my scythe was too far away to reach, my wings pinned. He'd landed several blows that, while not life threatening, hurt like hell and somewhat incapacitated me._

"_So, are you gonna kill me?"_

"_Are you eager to die? How cowardly." I bared my teeth at him._

"_I'm no coward! I attempted to steal from you, that warrants my death to many demons, Fox." He chuckled, and smiled, the grin less so than that of a smirk turned friendly._

"_I won't kill you. But you do owe me."_

_My stomach dropped. He was undoubtedly stronger than me, if he wanted what many would, then I couldn't stop him. "Owe you what?" I croaked out, his smirk deepened._

"_I have an offer."_

I was jolted out of the daydream with a snap as Genbu emerged from the ceiling, only to be sliced into ribbons by the Rose Whip.

"How did you…know?" Genbu's head gasped.

"With the scent of roses in the room, your stench was easy to find." I would have laughed, but I was still reeling from the dream I'd just witnessed.

A dream was all it was, right? But, it was so real…and the fear…I was shivering from it.

"What, human?" Hiei asked me, I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "You're trembling." I shrugged. I didn't feel like admitting my fear to him, because I don't like to be afraid; it's not that it makes me feel weak, more like it makes me question myself, something I try not to make a habit of.

"That was amazing," I admitted to Kurama quietly; he was watching me with an unreadable expression.

"Thank you, it's my preferred weapon." I nodded, and shoved my hands into my pockets, so he wouldn't see them shaking. What was causing that reaction? I wanted to know…but at the same time, I didn't.

"Let's go-" I stared in wonder as the shredded rock began to reassemble.

"I'll have to take this battle more seriously than I thought…" Kurama smirked and turned back to Genbu.

"This won't take but a moment."

-(line)-

"George! I want to know who that girl is, right now!" Koenma snarled, staring at the screen in shock.

_There's no way! They can't…_ Koenma had paid little attention to the human until he'd taken another glance at Kurama's file.

George soon brought the record of Haru's soul, not her life, and placed it before the Spirit Prince. It was thicker than the average soul; either indicating that she'd accomplished something major, or had lived more life than one.

Koenma opened the file immediately, glancing at the pictures in front.

A small child with a ragged stuffed rabbit nestled in the boughs of a tree, fast asleep, her short, thick hair barely reaching her jaw, bare feet tucked under her. The same girl, a bit older, walking down the street, eating a stick of cinnamon and on the lookout for someone (another stick was wrapped in plastic, tucked safely into the front pocket of her overalls. Other pictures, some candid, some when Haru was motionless. Koenma found the last few pages, and felt like his breath had been knocked out of his lungs.

The man in the picture was older than Haru, maybe in his late 20's but he was no man. There was no mistaking that he was a demon; large, leathery bat wings protruded from his back, an expanse of roughly 15ft. His skin was dark, eyes narrowed mischievously, shining a sinful violet, a cocky smirk plastered on his face.

"No…" Koenma moaned in despair as he read through.

"What is it sir?" George asked worriedly, the young prince was his charge, even though the boy was his boss.

"Not _what_, ogre, but _who._" Koenma admitted in a deadpan.

"Who is it then? What's happened?"

"Kuronue's been reincarnated."

-(line)-

The soul of a human goes through many lives; most have no knowledge of it, except perhaps in dreams. They are reborn with new skills, new habits and new options. Their decisions create their own path, fate has little to do with it. When they die, the soul returns to the Spirit World, where it is chosen for it's next life. Thus, the cycle of the Human Soul.

A demon's soul, however, goes through no such process. When a demon dies, it's the end. They are not reincarnated. They go to no higher plane.

"So how did Kuronue's soul get through, and how did it become human? Or female, for that matter?" George asked, shutting the file.

"My guess is that there was a filing error and the soul wound up here. It probably hung around, waiting for news of Kurama. We had knowledge of when he went into the Human World, of course," Koenma guessed, pressing his tiny fingers to his temples. "But we decided to keep tabs on him, and eventually forgot when he showed no signs of demonic energy. Kuronue's soul had probably gathered enough spare energy floating around that it managed to enter the right department at the right time and make it to the human world to Haru's body, instead of the preset soul." Koenma moaned in despair. "Do you know how much paperwork this'll cause us? Dad's gonna kill me!"

"You should have kept a better eye on things," George scolded.

"Do you know how many souls go through the reincarnation process? Millions every day! It's impossible to track all of them." George rolled his eyes and looked back at the fight.

"Do you think that Kurama knows any of this?"

"Are you kidding? As smart as he is, he's probably get a pretty good idea about it. If he figures it out for sure, it won't be pleasant." They both flinched at the thought of an angry Kurama coming after them.

No doubt the former thief would fly into a rage; they'd essentially lost his best friend's soul. It was unforgivable, Koenma admitted privately to himself as George spoke up again in a trembling voice, indicating to his fear.

"And Haru? Will she realize who she is?" Koenma leaned back and stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"The longer she stays near Kurama, the more of a risk run that she'll remember who she was. We could always give her memories back…" Koenma mused.

"But?"

"She'll lose her human form. She'll become a demon again, I suspect, with all her old powers, and her old body. We won't do that unless worse comes to worst."

"So we're leaving her alone?

"No! We have to keep her near the group. It's a risk, but if we lose sight of her, that's an even bigger danger. It's all one big mess, and cleaning it up will make it worse." Koenma began writing down the correct forms he'd need to sign to alert his father of what had happened. "The only thing that we can do is hope things turn out for the better."

-(line)-

"_A proposition?" Kuronue repeated, eyes darting to the chained scythe lying some distance away._

"_Yes. Don't even attempt it." Youko snapped, and the other demon stilled, and finally looked back up into his eyes. "Do you know who I am?"_

"_Should I?"_

_In spite of himself, Youko smiled wickedly. The bat demon amused him. He'd heard rumors of a skilled thief making a name for himself in these parts at the expense of other bandits, and had decided to bait the creature, to see if it was worth his time._

_And oh, it was. There was no denying potential to the demon._

"_I am Youko." The name struck a nerve in the bat, whose eyes widened comically. "So you know my name, just not my face." _

"_Shit." Youko chuckled._

"_You just tried to steal from the best thief around, little bat. Do you know what that means?" The bat didn't answer, although he'd regained his composure and stared Youko straight on. _

"_What?"_

"_I hold your life in my hands."_

"_So kill me already if you're gonna do it." The bat hissed, baring his teeth again. Youko growled low in his throat, and the bat seemed to back off a bit._

"_I don't want your __**life**__, you fool. What I want is your help. But first, I want you name."_

"_My name?"_

"_Yes, your name. Unless you don't have one?" Many demons had been abandoned by their mother's, and didn't have their own names, as a consequence. The prospect of naming this one was surprisingly satisfying._

"_Kuronue." The bat grunted, and Youko laughed at the name. Kuronue scowled. "You asked."_

"_So I did. Kuronue, I want you as my partner in crime." The bat demon raised an eyebrow, and his lips tightened a fraction. _

"_Why me?" Youko shrugged._

"_Out of all of those I've lured to attack, you're the strongest." _

"_Bastard! You masked your energy!" Kuronue shouted, partly in surprise and partly in awe. He'd never even considered that someone would deliberately draw in danger._

"_I've heard rumors about you. Not quite so famous as mine, but respectable nonetheless. I need someone with skill; you don't have it __**yet**__, but the ability is there. Let me guess, you taught yourself to steal?" Kuronue nodded hesitantly. "Your work is sloppy. You've had no professional instruction. Help me, and you'll be even better than you could ever imagine."_

_Kuronue stared up at the living legend. Before him was the best of the best; although not exactly orthodox, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And it was the only way he'd probably survive? _

_What else could he do but accept?_

_And yet, later on, thinking about those golden eyes that saw through everything, it seemed, Kuronue was more than satisfied with his fate._

_And later, at the end, he was satisfied at his demise._

**Wow, long chapter, right there! So, great twist, yeah? Hope you all liked it…like I said; I'm absolutely terrible with the fighting scenes. I'm attempting to stick with the plot and the fights as much as possible from the anime, but I don't think that the fight description itself was much to speak of. But hey, if you liked it, wonderful. **

**Now, down to business. **

**I need your help, everybody.**

**Later on in the series is the Dark Tournament, and here's the issue; someone from an opposing team has to have the hots for poor Haru. I need some help deciding who and from what team.**

**In your reviews, please state the character you think is the most believable, and the top 3 will be in the final poll. However, if no one votes, then it'll be a huge hole in the plot, so ****please**** review and vote.**

**Thank you for your support and, I CANNOT stress this enough, REVIEW and VOTE!**


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